I realize that this may seem slightly off-topic for the Axiom forums, but I thought today's experience might be helpful to some.

I have a sound booth here in the studio that, realistically, is only used maybe 10 times a year. I have clients coming in tomorrow so I thought I'd do the wiring setup yesterday. I have a rolling rack of equipment that I bring in for these, and I cable it in such a way that the client also has headphones not only to facilitate hearing themselves, but I can "talk back" to them through my own mic to give direction. Also, I set it up so that I'm recording to both a compactflash card in a ZOOM H4n recorder and to a CD-R for backup. (For those that would remember them, the ZOOM takes the place of a Tascam DAT deck that I still have...but the ZOOM is quicker to load for editing and can record 24bit/96kHz).

Anyway, on to the point of the post.

When I opened the door to the sound booth, half my Auralex foam had fallen off the walls. The foam was applied with the Auralex Foamtak Spray about 8 years or so ago. I remember applying it as directed, and was surprised it was coming down. (Also, it seemed strange that so much of it had come down "in one shot" since I was last in there three weeks or so ago. Anyone use the stuff and find it doesn't do well with humidity, or that it only lasts exactly 8 years )?

I ended up paying almost $40 in FedEx fees to have two tubes of Tubetak shipped so I could re-adhere the foam today.

I have to say, I REALLY preferred the tubetak over the spray. Hardly any smell, and no fear of "overspray". It's also supposed to be permanent, which may be good or bad depending upon your use.

It went on the back of the foam really well, but I was surprised that the two tubes wasn't enough. I had three 2X4 panels that came off, as well as quite a bit of trim. But for the last piece I put on, a 2X4, I didn't have enough. I placed it with what was on there, but I really could have bought three tubes.

So, in summary: If you're looking to put Auralex foam on your walls and you want it there on what would be considered a permanent basis, I would strongly recommend the Tubetak instead of the spray. And buy more than what you think you'll need. And buy it in advance so you're not paying ridiculous shipping fees!

Take out that microphone, put a lock (on the outside) of that door, and you could put kids in there for timeouts... Let them scream. HA! Of course, they would probably tear the panels off the wall, but...

What's so special about the auralex foam that it requires proprietary adhesives? I'd have thought that there would be *something* compatible at the local HD. I mean, I understand "manufacturer's instructions on installation" and everything, but if it's sticky and doesn't eat the foam...

I think the "eating the foam" part is the problem. There are reports on websites that simply using a construction adhesive breaks down the foam before too long. A 3M spray adhesive (I want to say it's called "77" or something akin to that) has the same reputation.

The clients just left.

Why, of why, do companies always want to cheap out the last couple of hundred dollars and let employees do the voiceovers instead of bringing in a pro? I'm going to do an extra $150 in editing to work through the many, many takes anyway....

Every CEO or marketing head I deal with wants to say "Well Fred in shipping has a deep voice. We'll just use him for this.".

No lie.I got asked by the author to do a voice over for the animated version of this very excellent children's book The True Meaning of Crumbfest after I had left his girlfriend a funny message on his answering machine in a Boris Karlof kind of voice.

The producer, who had total control, wasn't interested though. He had already cast all the parts.

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With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.